The Next Day————
Fujiwara no Fuhito sat up, clutching his head in pain from the hangover. Looking at the familiar room, he was momentarily dazed, then the events of the previous day flooded back.
From receiving news to meeting Lancer at the city gates, to their deep talk in the carriage, and finally the banquet as planned...
But for some reason, his memory became incredibly blurry at that point. His expression turned odd. Could I have been gotten drunk on purpose?
He hastily summoned a maid and learned that he had indeed been helped back after getting drunk last night. He didn't know what to say.
Was it bad luck? A simple matter had failed to be completed.
Or was it Lancer bad luck? He missed the chance to marry the daughter of the Minister of the Right.
Wait! There was another possibility...
Could the opponent have known and intended to refuse, but to avoid friction, used this clever method to cut the conversation short?
Habitually over-analyzing everyone's motives, he thought of a dozen plausible or implausible reasons for Lancer behavior. However, he eventually dismissed the idea of a refusal. Only he and Mokou knew about the plan to marry her off, and in his view, his daughter had no chance to see him alone, let alone refuse. So what happened?
He analyzed the simple matter over and over for nearly half an hour before finally sighing in resignation.
'Forget it. Since it didn't happen this time, there's always next time.'
Lancer was just one of his 'insurance policies' to ensure the family's prosperity, built on the premise that he might one day be unable to protect them. That day was decades away. For now, he had more important work.
'If I can pursue that "Celestial Maiden," the Fujiwara family will surely soar!'
Indeed, Fuhito pursued Kaguya Houraisan not just because he was a "LOLI-con," but for the family legacy. If his descendants had the blood of a Celestial Maiden, the Fujiwara family would prosper forever.
He realized 'Kaguya-hime' was truly uninterested in them, so he began looking for a different approach and had found some clues.
For example, although she was a "Celestial Maiden," she was very respectful to the old couple who adopted her.
In his view, to break through that iceberg-like goddess, he had to use other forces.
Of course, unless his head was full of holes, he wouldn't kidnap the old couple. He intended to solve this from the "flanks"...
Because it concerned his 'future,' his expression was deathly serious. Even Lancer was temporarily forgotten. Since the servants said Lancer had left, he didn't want to waste time.
Lancer didn't know what Fuhito was thinking, but he had discovered a great method: if he encountered another unavoidable banquet, he'd just get the host drunk.
However, as he happily headed to the Onmyoryo to ask about new targets, the Youkai world experienced a minor earthquake.
The news spread: 'Akagaki' went to Onigashima, fought a 1v1 battle with 'Shuten-Douji,' one of the Three Oni Kings, and defeated her.
The Oni race themselves didn't care; being defeated by one's own 'kin' was nothing shameful, as long as they won next time.
As for Lancer not being an Oni? Did people think the Oni were blind? Everyone at the scene witnessed the crimson horn on his forehead!
A small group suggested Lancer usually looked like a normal human—just taller, stronger, and better at fighting.
The Oni's explanation was simple: he must be using some secret technique to hide his horn for a specific reason, and it only showed because the opponent was too strong to hide it from.
Many Oni even declared that their goal was to make 'Akagaki' reveal his horn during a fight.
As for Youkai who "didn't listen to explanations" or "slandered Lord Akagaki as a human," Oni powerhouses paid them a visit. After a few Youkai were "dealt with," the rest had to admit one thing: the Oni race now had a Fourth Oni King.
Many Youkai marveled at how terrifying this generation of Oni was. Historically, multiple Oni Kings were rare because they fought each other so much. But this habit ensured every Oni was a qualified warrior.
In terms of pure stats, an Oni Great Youkai might not be much stronger than other races, but their combat will and techniques far surpassed others. No race could match the Oni in combat experience.
If the Kappa relied on numbers and the Tengu on unity, the Oni fought their way up through raw power.
What made Youkai even more nervous was that the new 'Akagaki' was a total battle maniac. Since his debut, one Great Youkai and several famous ones had already been killed by him. After his visit to Onigashima, he showed no signs of stopping.
As the Oni incident settled, the Onmyoryo began maintaining public order again, and 'Akagaki' began 'challenging' various Youkai.
Curiously, alongside his fearsome reputation, a strange rumor began to spread: many Youkai claimed they had received help from this 'Akagaki.'
What on earth?